Dry grinding of ceramics



United States Patent 3,238,049 DRY GRINDING OF CERAMICS Arthur V. Somers, Flushing, Mich., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Filed Jan. 23, 1963, Ser. No. 253,256 7 Claims. (Cl. 106-39) This invention relates to ceramics and to an improved methpd for their manufacture. The invention has particular utility for the manufacture of industrial ceramics, electrical insulators and the like such as are made of high alumina compositions but it also useful for the manufacture of china, tile an dother porcelain or high clay content ceramic bodies.

At the present state of the art there are principally three methods used for the manufacture of ceramic articles. The oldest of these methods includes the steps of wet grinding a ceramic raw batch (i.e., grinding with a substantial amount of water present such that the batch is in the form of a slurry), filtering, aging the filter cake until it has the right plasticity, forming into desired shapes and then drying and firing. This method which requires that the batch contain clay or a like plastic ingredient is used widely for the manufacture of various types of white ware, tile and the like and is also still used to some extent to manufacture spark plug insulators and other high alumina industrial ceramics. However, for the latter types of products, the more widely used method during recent years has been the so-called spray drying and isostatic molding process. With this process the raw batch is first either wet ground or is dry ground (i.e., grinding substantially dry or with not more than about 1% uncombined water present or with not more than 6% organic material such that the batch is in a loose pulverant state) after which it is mixed with a wax-water emulsion in a blunging operation to form a slurry. Next the slurry is screened and then sprayed in small droplet form into a hot air drying tower to evaporate the water and provide a fiowable mass of small globules of waxbonded ceramic. This material is then isostatically molded in rubber molds by the application of fluid pressure to form the desired shapes after which the shaped pieces are fired to burn out the wax and sinter or vitrify the ceramic. This method, which is disclosed in United States Patent 2,251,454, has the advantage that it does not rely on plasticity in the ceramic body composition for purposes of shaping the articles. Hence it can be used to produce high alumina or other pure oxide or mixed oxide bodies which contain little or no clay. The third commonly used method involves the steps of grinding the raw ceramic batch, uniformly admixing with the ground batch a thermoplastic organic resin, injection molding the articles and then firing to burn out the resin and sinter the ceramic. The success of this process is largely dependent on attaining a uniform mixture of the resin with the ceramic and in attaining a uniform density in the molded prefired article.

It will be noted that all the above-outlined methods consist of at least four steps at least one of which steps has no other function than to enable the forming of the ground ceramic into self-sustaining prefired articles of relatively uniform density. Uniform density is important because if there should be nonuniformity by reason of air inclusions, nonuniform compaction or the like, there is considerable distortion of the ware during firing as well as inferior properties of mechanical strength and electrical resistance in the finished product. Needless to say, the number and nature of the various steps used in these existing manufacturing methods add considerably to the cost of the finished product.

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The present invention has as its principal object the provision of an improved, simplified method for the manufacture of ceramics. More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide a method for ceramic manufacture which has only three essential steps, namely, grinding, shaping and firing. Another object is the provision of a ground, loose, pulverant ceramic material from which ceramic articles can be directly shaped and then fired.

Briefly, in accordance with the present invention, the ceramic batch is dry ground in admixture with a small amout of an alkylene glycol or polyalkylene glycol which serves as a deflocculating agent during grinding thereby inhibiting agglomeration of the grains and providing the batch with flowability comparable to that of a liquid. An organic binder, preferably dry paraifin wax, may additionally be admixed into the raw batch during the grinding operation to add green strength to the articles subsequently pressed from the batch. I have found that there results from such grinding operation a ceramic batch which can, without any intermediate operations, be pressed or isostatically molded to prefired shapes of extremely uniform density. There remains then only the firing step to sinter or vitrify the shaped articles to the ceramic end product.

The above and other features and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed discussion of particulars of preferred embodiments.

CERAMIC RAW MATERIAL FOR THE GRINDING OPERATION The ceramic material selected for the raw batch will, of course, depend upon the type of ceramic ware desired. For high strength industrial ceramics or electrical insulators it can, for example, be a single oxide such as aluminum oxide or beryllium oxide, a mixture of such oxides, for example aluminum oxide and magnesium oxide, or a mixture of such oxides together with small amounts of fluxing ingredients or mineralizers such as talc, calcium carbonate, clay and the like. For such items as tile and dinnerware the ceramic raw batch can likewise be of any of the various compositions presently used.

The method of this invention has the special advantage of being able to produce an extremely high quality ceramic, especially for industrial and electrical uses, where the raw batch is substantially free of all glass-forming ingredients such as silica, as such or in any of its combined forms. Typical examples of such a batch are: aluminum oxide; 100% beryllium oxide; 99.75% aluminum oxide and 0.25% magnesium oxide (added as such or as magnesium sulfate or magnesium nitrate); 99.25% aluminum oxide, 0.25% magnesium oxide (added as such or as magnesium sulfate or magnesium nitrate) and 0.5% chromium oxide.

Where aluminum oxide is the principal ingredient in the raw batch, as is desirable where the method is used to produce industrial ceramics or spark plug or other electrical insulators, it is preferred that the aluminum oxide be a substantially soda-free and silica-free calcined alumina of small crystal size. Such aluminas are common in the market.

NONCERAMIC RAW BATCH INGREDIENTS The raw batch for the grinding operation also includes a small amount, up to about 6% by weight, of an alkylene glycol or polyalkylene glycol which serves as deflocculating agent, i.e., it serves as a nonagglomerator and lubricant and therefore prevents any sticking of the grains one to the other during grinding thereby preventing any packing in the grinding mill and providing the batch with a flowability comparable to that of a liquid both during the grinding operation and during the subsequent pressing operation. Preferred defiocculating agents are: ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol and polyethylene-polypropylene glycol. Where a polymer or copolymer is used it is desirable that it have a molecular weight less than about 1,000. Polyethylene glycol with a molecular weight of about 400 serves eminently well.

It is often desirable that the raw batch additionally include a small amount up to about 6% by weight of an organic binder such that the prefired articles resulting from the pressing operation have particularly good mechanical strength to withstand a considerable amount of shock during handling operations between forming and firing. Where a binder is used, it can be mixed into the raw batch prior to or during the grinding operation. Dry powdered paraffin wax is eminently suitable as a binder material. It should be noted that whereas many of the defiocculating agents by themsleves will not have sufficient properties as a binder during the pressing operation to produce the green strength desired in the pressed articles, nevertheless the defloccula'ting agent will not prevent added binder material from functioning as such during pressing. Hence, there is no need to remove the deflocculating agent prior to pressing in order to attain excellent green strength.

To attain minimum shrinkage during firing and also for reasons of economy it is, of course, desirable to use as little organic material in the batch as is necessary to accomplish the desired batch properties. Hence, whereas larger amounts of deflocculating agent and binder can be included in the batch, it is preferred that the total percentage of organic material, including both defiocculating agent and binder, not exceed about 6%. Generally about 2% by weight deflocculating agent is ample to provide the anti-agglomerating and fiowability properties required and about 2% by weight binder is sufficient for excellent green strength.

THE GRINDING OPERATION The grinding operation can be performed in a conventional ball mill preferably either rubber lined or lined with a ceramic material having a composition similar to that being manufactured in order to avoid adverse contamination. In this same vein, it is preferred that the mill balls be of a dense ceramic having a composition the same or similar to the ceramic being manufactured. Conventional size mill balls, having an initial diameter of about one to four inches, are quite satisfactory for milling production size batches. There is, of course, mill ball wear during the grinding though I have found that the amount of wear is considerably less in the practice of the present invention than in conventional wet milling operations.

The ceramic ingredients in the desired proportions along with the defiocculating agent and preferably also an organic binder are placed in the mill along with the conventional number of mill balls (approximately four or five pounds of mill balls for every pound of ceramic batch) and the batch is then dry ground until mixing is completed and the desired extent of particle size reduction is accomplished. A grinding time of four to five hours is generally sufficient for compositions containing up to about 95% alumina together with siliceous or other glass-forming materials. For higher alumina bodies containing little or no glass-forming constituents, grinding times of 10 to 30 hours are desirable. After grinding, the loose, flowable, ground batch can be immediately passed to the pressing or molding operation to produce shaped, self-sustaining prefired articles. The defiocculating agent along with the binder, if one is used, appears in the ground batch as an extremely thin coating on the ceramic particles.

While a conventional mill ball-to-batch weight ratio of 4 or 5 to l is satisfatcory to provide good quality ceramic ware, an outstanding product improvement can be accomplished, particularly in the case of bodies containing little or no glass-forming ingredients, by increasing the ratio to about 10 to l and preferably 20 to 1 as covered by my copending United States Serial Number 253,255, filed on January 23, 1963. Using such a ratio, extremely high compaction densities are attainable in the prefired articles and this in turn results in high density fired ware with relatively little shrinkage during the firing operation.

FORMING OPERATION The desired prefired articles can be pressed dif ectly from the particulate material from the grinding operation preferably by pressing in matched metal dies or by isostatically molding with rubber molds substantially the same as those used in the so-called spray drying-isostatic molding process as previously outlined. Because of the fluid nature of the particulate material from the grinding operation, it fills the die or mold easily, much as would a liquid, and on the application of pressure extremely uniform density can be accomplished in the prefired article. Pressures on the order of 4,000 to 7,000 pounds per square inch are quite satisfactory to produce the desired results. Even though the ceramic batch material prior to pressing has a high degree of fluidity due to the presence of the defiocculating agent, the prefired articles resulting from the forming operation are self-sustaining and have ample green strength to withstand all the normal handling operations between forming and firing. As indicated previously a binder, preferably powdered dry paraflin wax, should be included in the batch if the defiocculating agent does not provide the amount of green strength desired in the prefired articles.

For the manufacture of ceramic articles of relatively simple shape such as cylinders or discs, the use of matched steel dies serves eminently well and is recommended for the forming operation. However, where the shapes desired are relatively complex, for example, spark plug insulators, the use of rubber molds is much preferred.

In addition to providing an extremely uniform density in the prefired articles, the process of this invention is advantageous in that extremely good compaction can be attained. This is presumably because of the lubricity of the material which allows one grain to slide with respect to the others during the application of pressure thereby resulting in prefired articles of relatively high density. Also, there is evidence that the presence of the deflocculating agent during milling effects the particle size and particle size distribution attained such that the ground material is susceptible to high compaction values. As indicated previously, exceptionally high prefired densities can be accomplished by utilizing the grinding technique as covered by my copending United States Serial Number 253,255 wherein a large ratio of mill balls-to-charge is used in the grinding operation.

FIRING OPERATION The firing temperature and schedule used to fire the articles from the forming operation to cause sintering will, ofcourse, depend on the ceramic ingredients used. For any type ceramic body made by the process of this invention the firing temperature, time and other conditions can be the same as those utilized in firing the same type of ceramic processed by conventional techniques. For example, for high alumina bodies containing upwards of aluminum oxide, firing temperatures of about 2700 F. to 3100 F. on a six-hour schedule are usual, all as will be evident from the following examples:

Example I A ceramic raw batch was formed by adding to conventional ball mill calcined aluminum oxide 99.25% (by weight), magnesium oxide 0.25% and chromium oxide 0.5%. Then polyethylene glycol (molecular weight 400) in an amount equal to about 2% of the weight of the ceramic batch was additionally added to the mill. The mixture was milled for 20 hours using alumina grinding balls in a ratio of about 30 pounds of balls to each pound of batch. At the conclusion of this grinding operation the fluent ceramic batch was pressed in matched steel dies with a pressure of 5,000 pounds per square inch to form self-sustaining cylindrical shaped compacts. These cylinders were then fired in ordinary nonreducing atmosphere to 3050 F. on a normal six-hour schedule (with a one-hour hold at maximum temperature) during which the organic material was burned out and the ceramic sintered to a dense nonporous body.

Example 11 Same as Example I except that: the ceramic ingredients of the batch consisted of about 90% fused alumina, 4.5% clay, 4% talc, 1.5% strontium carbonate; the batch was ground for five hours using a grinding ball-to-batch weight ratio of 5 to 1; the cylinders were fired to 2900 F.

While the process of this invention involves only three essential steps in proceeding from the initial raw ceramic materials to the fired articles, it will be understood that additional steps may be included if desired. For example, subsequent to the pressing operation and prior to firing it may be desirable to use a form grinding or shaping step to remove portions of the pressed articles particularly where the bodies to be manufactured are of complicated shape. Hence, while the invention has been described in detail with reference to certain embodiments thereof, changes may be made, all within the full and intended scope of the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. In a process for manufacturing ceramics, the step of dry grinding in a ball mill a particulate ceramic batch in admixture with a small but effective amount of an organic material having deflocculant and binder properties, said material having sufficient deflocculating ability to prevent packing in the ball mill and sufficient binding ability to afford green strength for a compacted ceramic article, said material containing a quantity of an organic compound selected from the group consisting of alkylene glycols and polyalkylene glycols having suflicient deflocculating ability to prevent packing in a ball mill, to produce a free flowing, finely divided ceramic powder.

2. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the amount of material ranges from a small but effective amount up to 6.0 weight percent.

3. A process according to claim 1 in which said material consisting essentially of a mixture of paraffin wax and a quantity of an organic compound selected from the group consisting of the alkylene glycols and polyalkylene glycols having sufficient deflocculating ability to prevent packing in the ball mill,

4. In a process for manufacturing ceramics, the steps of dry grinding in a ball mill a particulate ceramic batch in admixture with a small but effective amount of an organic material having deflocculant and binder properties, said material having sufficient deflocculating ability to prevent packing in a ball mill and sufficient binding ability to afford green strength for a compacted ceramic art-icle, said material containing a quantity of an organic compound selected from the group consisting of the alkylene glycols and polyalkylene glycols have sufficient deflocculating ability to prevent packing in the ball mill, to produce a free flowing, finely divided powder, subsequently pressing the ceramic particles from said grinding step to form a compacted article of uniform density, and then firing said articles to form a dense, nonporous, sintered ceramic body.

5. A process set forth in claim 4 wherein the amount of material is from a small but effective amount up to 6.0 weight percent.

6. A process according to claim 4 -in which said material consisting essentially of .a mixture of paraffin wax and a quantity of an organic compound selected from the group consisting of the alkylene glycols and polyalkylene glycols having sufficient deflocculating ability to prevent packing in the ball mill.

7. In a process for manufacturing ground ceramic particles suitable for compacting and sintering, the step of dry grinding in a ball mill a particulate ceramic batch in admixture with a small but effective amount of an organic material having deflocculant and binder properties, said material having suflicient deflocculating ability to prevent packing in a ball mill and suflicient binding ability to afford green strength for a compacted ceramic article, said material containing a quantity of an organic compound-selected from the group consisting of alkyl ene glycols and the polyalkylene glycols having sufiicient deflocculating ability to prevent packing in the ball mill to produce a free flowing, finely divided ceramic powder.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,847,196 3/1932 Scott 26463 2,225,147 12/1940 Bechtold 241-16 2, 25 1,454 8/ 1941 Jeffery 26456 2,382,136 8/1945 Crowley et al. 26463 2,385,313 9/1945 Thurber et a1 24116 2,844,486 7/1958 Lamar 24116 2,939,199 6/1960 Strivens 26463 2,947,056 8/ 1960 C-sordas et a1. 106--65 2,968,551 1/1961 North 26463 3,026,210 3/1962 Coble 10665 3,051,566 8/1962 Schwartz 26463 TOBIAS E. LEVOW, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING CERAMICS, THE STEP OF DRY GRINDING IN A BALL MILL A PARTICULATE CERAMIC BATCH IN ADMIXTURE WITH A SMALL BUT EFFECTIVE AMOUNT OF AN ORGANIC MATERIAL HAVING DEFLOCCULANT AND BINDER PROPERTIES, SAID MATERIAL HAVING SUFFICIENT DEFLOCCULATING ABILTIY TO PREVENT PACKING I THE BALL MILL AND SUFFICIENT BINDING ABILITY TO AFFORD GREEN STRENGTH FOR A COMPACTED CERAMIC ARTICLE, SAID MATERIAL CONTAINING A QUANTITY OF AN ORGANIC COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKYLENE GLYCOLS AND POLYALKYLENE GLYCOLS HAVING SUFFICIENT DEFLOCCULATING ABILITY TO PREVENT PACKING IN A BALL MILL, TO PRODUCE A FREE FLOWING, FINELY DIVIDED CERAMIC POWDER. 